SiteYou Ask, We Answer: Should I query a short or send in the whole thing?
Rebecca asks: When I pitch a short FOB to a magazine, do I include the entire short in the query? For example, if it’s a one paragraph short, that’s my entire lede and article in one. Instead of including a lede, do I just describe what I am planning on doing, or do I just give away the whole thing in the query? How do I handle this?
You can do either, depending on how long your short is (how’s that for a weird phrase?) and how excited you are about writing it. I broke into Details and Psychology Today by sending them already-written shorts (via fax, yet!), but I’ve also pitched shorts via query letter.
If you feel a query would take just as long to write as your short, go ahead and write the short and send it in. Keep in mind, though, that the pitch for a short doesn’t need to be quite as long and detailed as a pitch for a longer article.
A query for a short also doesn’t need to be as research-intensive. For example, you probably don’t need to interview your sources and include quotes in a pitch for a short, which would make it easier to write the query than to write up the entire piece regardless of length.
Readers, how have you successfully sold shorts: via query or by sending in the entire piece? Please tell us about your experiences in the Comments section! [lf]
2 Responses to “You Ask, We Answer: Should I query a short or send in the whole thing?”
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Tiffany Hamburger
Said this on September 25th, 2007 at 11:11am:I love this blog, but I’m so new to this business that I have no idea what an FOB is!
Can anyone give me a definition or example of what a short FOB is? Thanks!
LindaFormichelli
Said this on September 25th, 2007 at 11:53am:Tiffany, FOB stands for Front Of the Book — those short pieces that typically appear at the front of the magazine.
Not to worry…I have a post that explains all these acronyms coming up next week!